The three-person submersible Alvin is recovered aboard research vessel Atlantis in the Pacific Ocean. (Photo by Dan Fornari, WHOI)

A small whale is scanned in the CT facility. Marine mammal research has been on-going since the 1930s. (Photo by Tom Kleindinst, WHOI)

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI)

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) is a private, nonprofit
research and higher education facility dedicated to the study of all
aspects of marine science and engineering and to the education of
marine researchers. Established in 1930, it is the largest independent
oceanographic research institution in the U.S., with staff and students
numbering about 1,000. The Institution is organized into five
departments, four interdisciplinary institutesocean life, coastal
ocean, ocean and climate change, deep ocean explorationthe Cooperative
Institute for Climate and Ocean Research, and a marine policy center.
Its shore-based facilities are located in the village of Woods Hole and
a mile and a half away on the Quissett Campus. The bulk of the
Institution’s funding comes from peer-reviewed grants and contracts
from the National Science Foundation and other government agencies,
augmented by foundations and private donations.

In an interdisciplinary atmosphere that nurtures discovery, WHOI
scientists, engineers, and students collaborate to explore the
frontiers of knowledge about planet Earth. They develop theories, test
ideas, build seagoing instruments, and collect data in diverse marine
environments. Working in all the world’s oceans, their broad research
agenda includes: geological activity deep within the earth; plant,
animal, and microbial populations and their interactions in the ocean;
coastal erosion; ocean circulation; ocean pollution; and global climate
change.

Ships operated by WHOI carry research scientists throughout the world’s
oceans. The WHOI fleet includes three large research vessels (R/V Atlantis, R/V Knorr, and R/V Oceanus), coastal craft including R/V Tioga, the deep-diving human-occupied submersible Alvin, the tethered, remotely-operated vehicle Jason II, and autonomous underwater vehicles such as the Autonomous Benthic Explorer (ABE) and SeaBED.

WHOI offers graduate and post-graduate studies in virtually all areas
of marine science. There are several fellowship and traineeship
programs, and graduate degrees are awarded through a joint program with
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) or by the Institution
itself. WHOI also offers other outreach programs and informal public
education through its Exhibit Center (see pages 14 and 15) and summer
tours. The Institution has a volunteer program and a membership
program, WHOI Associates.